4 potential free agent replacements for Cowboys tight end Dalton Schultz
This year, Dallas Cowboys tight end Dalton Schultz had to step up when tight end Blake Jarwin went down with a hip injury. In an offense that was very inconsistent, Schultz remained a constant for quarterback Dak Prescott.
The third-year player surpassed all of his stats from prior seasons by a long shot ending the year with 78 receptions for 808 yards, eight touchdowns, and 10.4 yards per reception. Unfortunately for Jerry Jones, Schultz’s breakout season happened right before the TE hits free agency. This means Schultz will now come with a pretty hefty price tag if the Cowboys want to keep him around for the 2022 season.
The Stanford product is young and has a long career ahead of him. Many teams in the NFL will be champing at the bit to get a competitor like Schultz on their team with only a few talented tight ends hitting free agency.
PFF predicts that Schultz will get roughly a four-year, $45 million contract. In PFF’s 2022 Top Free Agent Rankings the Cowboy is ranked second among tight ends, only behind the Miami Dolphins’ Mike Gesicki.
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Considering the Cowboys still have two years left on Jarwin’s contract, it will be very difficult for them to keep both tight ends. That means they will need to score big in the 2022 NFL Draft (and add a superior blocker?) or search around the NFL for a replacement.
Here are 4 free agent replacements for Dallas Cowboys tight end Dalton Schultz
4. Geoff Swaim, Tennessee Titans
Remember Geoff Swaim? The Cowboys drafted him in the 2015 NFL Draft out of Texas. In his three seasons with Dallas, he only played in 37 games, but managed to accrue 336 yards (with only one touchdown).
In Tennessee this year, Swaim had three touchdowns and 210 yards on 31 receptions. Swaim worked alongside Anthony Firkser, who is also hitting free agency in March. The Titans will likely prioritize Firkser over Swaim, and although the former Cowboy is far from the best option, he is a much more affordable option than Schultz.
If Jarwin can get back to being a dominant starting TE, Swaim can bring enough talent to be a good secondary option for the Cowboys. Sadly, getting decent enough people for as cheap as possible is going to have to be an option for Dallas this year since they are struggling with cap space. Swaim is far from an exciting pick, but it’s definitely an option.